Exercise 5A

1 1
1 a = = 0.2
b−a 7−2
So a sketch of the probability distribution function (with the required probability shaded) is:

P(3 < X < 5) = (5 − 3) × 0.2 = 0.4

b P( X > 4) = (7 − 4) × 0.2 = 0.6

2 a Area under the probability distribution function curve is 1, so:

(k − 2.6) × 0.1 = 1
(k − 2.6) = 10
k = 12.6

b P(4 < X < 7.9)= (7.9 − 4) × 0.1= 0.39

3 a Area under the probability distribution function curve is 1, so:

k × (6 − (−2)) =1
8k = 1
1
k=
8

1 1
b P(−1.3 < X < 4.2) = × (4.2 − (−1.3)) = × 5.5 = 0.6875
8 8

p
c 3X < X + p ⇒ X <
2
 p
P X <  =
0.5
 2
p
⇒ =2 ⇒ p =4
2

P( A ∩ B)
d Using P( A | B) =
P( B)
P( X > 5 ∩ X > 0) P( X > 5) 18 1
P( X > 5 | X > 0) = = = =
P( X > 0) P( X > 0) 86 6

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 P( X > 0 ∩ X < 3) P(0 < X < 3) 83 3
3 e P( X > 0 | X < 3) = = =5 =
P( X < 3) P( X < 3) 8 5

P( X < 1 ∩ 0 < X < 2) P(0 < X < 1) 18 1

f P( X < 1| 0 < X < 2) = = = =
P(0 < X < 2) P(0 < X < 2) 82 2

4 Sketching the probability distribution function:

P(5 < Y < 7) =1 − P(Y < 5) − P(Y > 7) =1 − 0.25 − 0.5 =0.25
But from the sketch, P(5 < Y <= 7) (7 – 5) ×
= k 2k
1
So 2k= 0.25 ⇒ k= 0.125=
8
(b − 7) 1
P( X > 7) = (b − 7)k = = ⇒ b = 4 + 7 = 11
8 2
(5 − a ) 1
P( X < 5) = (5 − a )k = = ⇒ a =5−2 =3
8 4

5 a As 2 ×=
2 + 5 9 and 2 ×=
8 + 5 21
Hence Y ~ U [9, 21]

1 1 1
b For Y , = =
b − a 21 − 9 12
1 2
P(12 < Y < 20) = (20 − 12) × =
12 3

6 a Continuous uniform distribution

b As 20 − 2 × 2 =16 and 20 − 2 ×12 =−4

Hence Y ~ U [ –4, 16]
16 + (−4) 12
By symmetry, E(Y=
) = = 6
2 2

1 1 1
c For =
Y, =
b − a 16 − (−4) 20
1 8 2
P(Y < 4) = (4 − (−4)) × = =
20 20 5

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6 d If X < 10, then Y > 0, so
P(Y > 4 ∩ Y > 0) P(Y > 4) 12
12 3
P(Y > 4 | X < 10) = P(Y > 4 | Y > 0) = = = 20
= =
P(Y > 0) P(Y > 0) 16
20 16 4

5 + (−3)
7 a=
E( X ) = 1
2

(b − a ) 2 (5 − (−3)) 2 64 16
b Var( X=
) = = =
12 12 12 3

16 2 19
c Var( X ) = E( X 2 ) − (E( X )) 2 , so E( X 2 ) = +1 =
3 3

x
1 x x 1 t  x 3 x+3
d For −3x5, F( x) = ∫ dt = ∫ dt =   = + =
−3 8
−3 b − a
 8  −3 8 8 8
So the cumulative distribution function is
 0 x < −3
x+3

= F( x)  −3x5
 8
 1 x>5

a + b 5 +1 (b − a ) 2 (5 − 1) 2 16 4
8 a E( X=
) = = 3 Var( X=
) = = =
2 2 12 12 12 3

a + b 6 + (−2) (b − a ) 2 (6 − (−2)) 2 64 16
b E( X=
) = = 2 Var( X=
) = = =
2 2 12 12 12 3

5.5 + 3.5
9 a=
E( X ) = 4.5
2

(5.5 − 3.5) 2 4 1
b Var( X=
) = =
12 12 3

c Var(
= X ) E( X 2 ) − (E( X )) 2
1
= E( X 2 ) − 4.52
So
3
1 247
⇒ E( X 2 =
) 20.25 + = = 20.6 (3 s.f .)
3 12

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 x
1 x x 1 t  x 7 2x − 7
9 d For 3.5x5.5, F( x) = ∫ dt = ∫ dt =   = − =
3.5 2
3.5 b − a
 2  3.5 2 4 4
So the cumulative distribution function is
 0 x < 3.5
 2x − 7  0 x < 3.5
 
F( x) 
= 3.5x5.5= 0.5 x − 1.75 3.5 x5.5
 4  1 x > 5.5
 1 x > 5.5 

a+b
10 E(Y ) = =1 ⇒ b =2 − a (1)
2
(b − a ) 2 4
Var(Y ) = = ⇒ (b − a ) 2 = 16 (2)
12 3
Substituting equation (1) in equation (2) gives:
(2 − a − a ) 2 =
16
⇒ 2 − 2a =±4
a 3 or − 1
⇒=

If a =3, b =2 − 3 =−1
If a = –1, b = 2 − (−1) = 3
As b > a, the solution is a =
−1 and b =
3

5 + (−1)
11=
E( X ) = 2
2
(5 − (−1)) 2
Var( X ) = 3
=
12
E(Y ) = E(4 X − 6) = 4E( X ) − 6 = 8 − 6 = 2
Var(Y ) = Var(4 X − 6) = 42 Var( X ) = 16 × 3 = 48

12 a
(β − α )2 4
Var( R) = = ⇒ (10 − 2α ) 2 =16 ⇒ α =5 ± 2 ⇒ α =3 or 7
12 3
α 7,=
If= β 3; if= α 3,= β 7
But α < β so the solution is α =
3, β =7

5.2 − α 2.2
b P( R < 5.2) = = = 0.55
β −α 4

13 a The probability density function of X is

f ( x) = 
 1 αxβ
 β −α

 0 otherwise

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 α +β
13 b E( X ) = =2.5 ⇒ β =5 − α
2
1−α 4 1−α 4
P( X < 1) = = ⇒ = substituting for β
β − α 11 5 − 2α 11
⇒ 11 − 11α = 20 − 8α
⇒ 3α =−9
⇒α = −3, β =−
5 α=8

14 a The probability density function of X is

f ( x) = 
 1 −5x4
9

 0 otherwise

b Sketching the probability distribution function gives:

a + b 4 + (−5) 1 (b − a ) 2 (4 − (−5)) 2 81 27
c E( X ) = = = − Var( X ) = = = =
2 2 2 12 12 12 4
Var(
= X ) E( X 2 ) − (E( X )) 2
27 1 28
So = E( X 2 ) − 2 ⇒ E( X 2 ) = =7
4 2 4

0.6 − (−0.2) 0.8 4

d P(−0.2 < X < 0.6) = = =
4 − (−5) 9 45

3
15 a P( X < 0)= F(0)=
7

d
b f ( x) = F( x)
dx
So the probability density function is:
f(x) = 
 1 −3x4
7

 0 otherwise

c X  U [ −3, 4] , it has a continuous uniform distribution

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 a + b 4 + (−3) 1
15 d E(
= X) = =
2 2 2

4 + (−1) 3
16 a E( X )= = = 1.5
2 2

(4 − (−1)) 2 25
b=
Var( X ) =
12 12

c Var(
= X ) E( X 2 ) − (E( X )) 2
25 9 25 + 27 52 13
So = E( X 2 ) − ⇒ E( X 2 ) = = =
12 4 12 12 3

1.4 − (−1) 2.4

d P( X < 1.4) = = = 0.48
4 − (−1) 5

e Let the random variable Y represent the number of times that X is observed to be less than 1.4 in
6 observations, then using the result from part d, Y  B(6, 0.48)
4 2 6×5 4 2
P(Y = 4) =  (0.48) (1 − 0.48) = × 0.48 × 0.52 = 0.2153 (4 d.p.)
6 2
 4
 

α +β
17 a E( X ) = = 7.5 ⇒ β = 15 − α
2
P ( X 10.5) =
1 − P ( X > 10.5) =
1 − 0.25 =
0.75
10.5 − α 10.5 − α
P ( X 10.5) = = 0.75 ⇒ 0.75
= substituting for β
β −α 15 − 2α
⇒ 10.5 − α= 11.25 − 1.5α
⇒ α = 1.5, β = 15 − α = 13.5

c − α c − 1.5 1
b i P( x < c) = = = ⇒ c = 5.5
β −α 12 3

3.5 7
ii P(c < X < 9) = P(5.5 < X < 9) = =
12 24

Challenge
3 4 4
3 4
α + β −α (β − α )
4
 
a P X < α + = β 7 7 = 7 =
 7 7  β −α β −α 7

2 3 2
2 3 
β− α− β (β − α )
2
 5 5 5
b P X > α + =β = =
 5 5  β −α β −α 5

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